Die funksionering van die algemene priesterskap van gelowiges binne die Nederduitse Gereformeerde kerk : 'n teories en 'n ekklesiologies model

Abstract

eeue is dit in die kerk verwaarloos omdat die kerk dikwels staatskerk was en gemeentelede vanwee die ampshieragie in die kerk as minderwaardig beskou is en gevolglik passief geraak het. Selfs na die Hervorming het gemeentestrukture nie so verander dat gemeentelede aangemoedig is om God se priesters in die wereld te wees nie. In die Ned Geref Kerk is dit ook die geval. Tot en met die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika in 1994, was daar 'n intieme band tussen die kerk en die staat en tot nou toe nog, is dit 'n kerk met 'n baie sterk ampshierargie. Die gevolg is dat gelowiges nie deur die tipiese gemeentestruktuur in die kerk aangemoedig word om God se priesters in die wereld te wees nie, maar eerder om die gemeente te konserveer en te bewaar. Suid-Afrika met sy lae produktiwiteitsyfer en buitengewone hoe misdaadsyfer sou vandag baie beter daaraan toe gewees het as getowiges binne die Ned Geref Kerk oor die jare heen deur die gemeentestruktuur aangemoedig is om as God se verteenwoordigers in die samelewing op te tree.wereld op te tree, is dit nodig dat gemeentes vanuit die perspektief van die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige, nuut gestruktureer word. Hiervoor is 'n teorie en 'n ekklesiologiese model vir die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige nodig. In hierdie studie word nie net alleen so 'n teorie en model ontwikkel nie, maar word ook aangedui hoe hierdie model reeds binne 'n gemeente in die Ned Geref Kerk toegepas is. maak om op die wereld in plaas van op die konservering en bewaring van die gemeente te fokus. Die studie word afgesluit met die hoop dat gemeentes krities sal reflekteer oor die algemene priesterskap van gelowiges en sal oorweeg om te herstruktureer sodat iets van die algemene priesterskap van die gelowige in die toekoms tot sy reg sal kom.

The general priesthood of the believer is emphasised in the Bible. But the church has neglected it through the ages because the church often was a state church and church members were regarded as inferior and became passive due to the official hierarchy in the church. extent as to encourage church members to function as God's priests in the world. This is also the case in the Dutch Reformed Church. Up to the first democratic election in South Africa in 1994 there was an intimate bond between this church and the state, and to this day the Dutch Reformed Church has a very strong official hierarchy. Consequently the typical congregational structure of the church does not encourage church members to function as God's priests in the world but rather to conserve and preserve the congregation. South Africa, with its low rate of productivity and exceptionally high crime rate, would have been much better off today if the congregational structures had over the years encouraged believers in the Dutch Reformed Church to act as God's representatives in society. Should congregations wish to encourage their members to act as God's priests in the world, it will be necessary to restructure themselves from the perspective of the general priesthood of believers. Such theory and model are developed in this study. It is also shown how such a model has already been applied in a congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church. The study divides the ministerial responsibility of the believer into two categories, namely internal and external responsibility. This division enables congregations to focus on the world in stead of the conservation and preservation of the congregation as such. The study is concluded in the hope that congregations will take a critical look at the general priesthood of believers and will consider restructuring themselves so that individual believers will embrace their general priesthood in future.